DRIVING

'Driving' is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, or car. Although direct operation of a bicycle, a mounted animal (not including chariot operation) or a motorcycle (at least in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada) is commonly called ''riding'', such operators are usually considered to be 'drivers' in a legal sense and required to obey those rules of the road which apply to all drivers.






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Contents

Driving skills

Driving as a physical skill

Driving as a mental skill

Driving laws

Enforcement of driving-related laws

Minimum motorist ages

See also

External links

Driving skills

Driving in traffic is more than just knowing how to operate the mechanisms which control the vehicle; it requires knowing how to apply the rules of the road (which govern safe and efficient sharing with other users). An effective driver also has an intuitive understanding of the basics of vehicle handling.

Driving as a physical skill

In terms of the basic physical tasks required, a driver must be able to control direction, acceleration, and deceleration. For motor vehicles, the detailed tasks include:

★ Starting the vehicle's engine with the starting system

★ Setting the transmission to the correct gear

★ Depressing the pedals with one's feet to accelerate, slow, and stop the vehicle, and if the vehicle is equipped with a manual transmission, to modulate the clutch

★ Steering the vehicle's direction with the steering wheel

★ Operating other important ancillary devices such as the indicators, headlights, and windshield wipers

★ Watching the road conditions in all directions around the vehicle (including frequent checks behind the vehicle using mirrors) to monitor the relative location of other vehicles (including bicycles), and pedestrians

Driving as a mental skill

Driver error is an important factor in collisions, which result in the death of many thousands of people annually (see also 'car accident'). Preventing collisions involves more than just following the rules of the road literally; defensive driving also involves the cultivation of good habits, maintaining attention, and a thoughtful, cooperative attitude.
Avoiding or successfully handling an emergency driving situation can involve any of the following skills:

★ Reversing

★ Decision making

★ Evasive maneuvers

★ Inflating the tires properly

★ Pursuit driving

★ Proper hand placement and seating position

★ Skid control

★ Steering and braking techniques

★ Understanding vehicle dynamics

Driving laws

In most countries, the use of public roads is heavily governed by law. Laws cover the construction and maintenance of roads, the construction and use of vehicles, the rules of the road, the requirements for motorist licensing (see 'Driver's license'), vehicle registration (see 'License plate'), vehicle taxation, safety inspections and compulsory insurance for heavy motor vehicles. These laws reflect the high degree of responsibility which is imposed upon both the drivers and manufacturers of vehicles (especially heavy motor vehicles) to make them as safe in use as they can possibly be.
Motorists are almost universally required to take lessons with an approved instructor and pass a driving test before being granted a license. The trend has been towards increasingly tougher tests in recent decades. Almost all countries allow all adults with good vision to apply to take a driving test and, if successful, to drive on public roads. Saudi Arabia, however, bans women from driving vehicles (whether pedal or motor powered) on public roads. Saudi women have periodically staged driving protests against these restrictions.
In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new motorists may be initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in Australia, novice drivers are required to carry "P" ("provisional") plates, and are subject to lower speed limits, alcohol limits, and other restrictions for their first two years of driving. This varies between states.

Enforcement of driving-related laws

Each country has its own unique way of dividing up the responsibility for enforcing all the laws mentioned above. In nearly all countries, though, the laws controlling driving in practice (like speed limits) are enforced by the police, who are in the best position to identify violations as they occur and to issue citations or make arrests.
Some countries, like Australia, prefer to put ''everything'' road-related into a ''single'' agency at the state level. Thus, in the Australian state of New South Wales, the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is responsible for driver licensing; highway construction, maintenance, and patrol; and many other things. Policing on Australian roads is provided by the relevant state police.
In contrast, in the United States, many U.S. state governments have a Department of Transportation that handles road construction and maintenance (subject to some guidance from the federal Department of Transportation), and a separate Department of Motor Vehicles that handles driver licensing and vehicle registration. There is usually a state police agency (called the Highway Patrol, State Police, State Troopers or Department of Public Safety) which enforces driving laws on state highways. On local roads, driving laws are enforced by county sheriff's departments or city police departments.
Except for a few jurisdictions, bicyclists are legally treated as drivers of vehicles and expected to cycle vehicularly. Drivers of bicycles are almost never subject to licensing. However, some municipalities do require permits for bicycles.

Minimum motorist ages

The minimum age required to be a motorist varies depending on the country. The most common age is 18. Here are the ages required in some countries (in alphabetical order), note that some regions of the countries may start at a different age than other regions, this is just the minimum age requirement to drive:
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★ Albania: 18

★ Algeria: 18

★ Argentina: 17

★ Australia: 16-18 depending on state/territory (16-16.5 with adult supervision)

★ Austria: 17

★ Bangladesh: 21

★ Belgium: 16 and 8 months (official driving teacher supervision). Minimum age is 18 for driving alone. Mopeds with speed limit restricted to 25 km/h: 16.

★ Brazil: 18

★ Brunei: 18

★ Bulgaria: 18

★ Canada: 14 Alberta, New Brunswick &; 15 Northwest Territories & Yukon; 15.5 Manitoba & Prince Edward Island; 16 British Columbia; Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia,Newfoundland, Ontario & Quebec

★ Chatham Islands (New Zealand): 15

★ Chile: 18 (17 with adult supervision)

★ China: 18

★ Colombia: 18 (16 with adult supervision)

★ Croatia: 20 (18 with limitations)

★ Czech Republic: 18

★ Denmark: 18

★ Egypt: 18

★ El Salvador: 18

★ Estonia: 18 (16 with adult supervision)

★ Ethiopia: 14

★ Finland: 15 (farm vehicles, 50cc mopeds and scooters, snowmobiles) - 16 (125cc, under 11kw motorbikes) - 18 (cars, under 25kw motorbikes, lorries/trucks without trailers) - 21 (everything else)

★ France: 14 (farm vehicles, quad bikes and mopeds) - 16 (with adult supervision) - 18

★ Germany: 18 (17 with adult supervision)

★ Ghana: 18

★ Greece: 16 (50cc mopeds and scooters) - 21 (125+cc motorbikes) - 18 (everything else)

★ Hong Kong: 18

★ Hungary: 17

★ Indonesia: 17

★ Iceland: 17

★ Iran: 18

★ Ireland: 17 (16 for Mopeds and Tractors)

★ India: 14 (mopeds and small motorscooters) - 18 (cars)

★ Isle of Man: 16

★ Israel: 17

★ Italy: 18

★ Japan: 18

★ Latvia: 14 (mopeds) - 16 (small cars, eg. Smart) - 18

★ Lebanon: 18

★ Lithuania: 14 (mopeds) - 16 (small cars, eg. Smart) - 18

★ Luxembourg: 18 (17 with adult supervision)

★ Malaysia: 17

★ Malta: 18

★ Mauritius: 18

★ Mexico: 16 (Restricted to driving from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.) 18 (No time restrictions.)

★ Morocco: 18

★ Netherlands: 18

★ New Zealand: 15 (with adult supervision for at least 6 months before sitting the Restricted practical test, which allows for driving alone. Restricted still has guidelines eg hours of day and night allowed to drive in, not allowed to carry passengers)

★ Norway: 18 (16 with adult supervision and qualified basic traffic course)

★ Philippines: 17

★ Poland: 18

★ Portugal: 18

★ Puerto Rico: 18 (16 under adult supervision)

★ Romania: 18

★ Russia: 18

★ Slovenia: 21 (18 with limitations)

★ Slovakia: 18

★ Somalia: 14

★ South Africa: 18

★ South Korea: 18

★ Singapore: 18

★ Spain: 18

★ Sweden: 18 (16 with adult supervision)

★ Switzerland: 18

★ Taiwan: 18

★ Tanzania: 18

★ Thailand: 18

★ Turkey: 18

★ Ukraine: 18

★ United States: Varies from 14 to 18 by state

★ United Kingdom: 17 (16 if partially disabled or for mopeds and tractors)

★ Uruguay: 18

★ Venezuela: 18

★ Vietnam: 18

★ Zambia: 18

See also

★ Back seat driver

★ Chauffeur

★ Driverless car

★ Driving pleasure

★ Driving on the left or right

★ Driving under the influence

★ Graduated driver licensing

★ Heel-and-Toe

★ Highway Code (official road safety manual for the United Kingdom)

★ Highway patrol

★ Institute of Advanced Motorists

★ Mobile phones and driving safety

★ Road safety

★ Road racing

★ Road rage

★ Sleep Deprived Driving

★ Traffic jam

★ Traffic sign

★ Railroad engineer

★ Vehicle dynamics

External links

★ How Cars Work - also How to Drive.

★ How to drive a car with a manual transmission

★ Tips For Winter Driving by David Maillie

★ A wiki devoted to 'driving research'